zi3躓踬
Jyutpingzi3
Yaleji
Definition
To stumble or trip; to fail or meet with setbacks.
- to stumble; to trip
- to fail; to meet with setbacks
colloquialdaily actionsdescriptions
How it's used
Primarily used in the spoken form 躓親 to describe the physical act of tripping or stumbling over something. When applied to abstract concepts like business or life plans, it carries a sense of a temporary setback or a fall from grace rather than a permanent end. It is distinct from 跌, which focuses on the act of falling down to the ground.
Examples
If you are not careful when walking, it is easy to stumble.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 躓 with 跌. While 跌 means to fall, 躓 specifically refers to the initial action of catching one's foot or losing balance, which may or may not result in a full fall.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
